Mind Meltdown
by Horsey Spike
Summary: Willow does a spell that doesn't work quite right- Funnies happen.


TITLE: Mind Meltdown (1/1)  
AUTHOR: Horsey Spike  
EMAIL: horseyspike@aol.com  
RATING: PG-13  
SUMMARY: Spell go boom. Funnies happen. Answer to Challenge #100  
PARINGS: Willow/Tara, Spike/Harmony, Xander/Anya  
CHALLENGE: #100 "Harmony tries to attack an unarmed Willow again. Willow-in a frantic hurry-does the first spell she can think of-a mind manipulating type thing-to distract Harmony and make a run for it. But-being Willow -it goes wrong. So, Harmony and Willow swap *intellignece*-they still have the same personalities as always: Harmony-annoying and whiny: Willow-sensible.  
SPOILERS: Currently, Season 5 of BtVS, but probably nothing you haven't heard before.  
DISCLAIMER: Buffy and Co. do not belong to me. I repeat, do not belong to me. Please put your hands where I can see them.  
FEEDBACK: I lack it as Dauntless lacks a lass.  
DISTRIBUTION: YGTS?(http://www.four-am.com/stones/), Narcissistic Echo (http://www.geocities.com/horseyspike/), and anyone who has permission to my stuff. Otherwise, take 'n tell is in order.   
NOTES: Uh, please, if anyone is offended by this, don't tell me. I like to live in a happy world. Not that I'm planning for anyone to be offended. In fact, I don't think anyone could be offended by this....  
DEDICATION: To Cyn, for all her help.   
---------  
"I wonder if I could use my Slayer power for something like the good of the world?" Buffy wondered out loud, the absurdity of her statement not hitting her, and also not knowing there was people around her listening.   
  
Or, more like it, a vampire...  
  
No, it was not Spike, who had become super-obsessive. His time seemed to be taken elsewhere lately, and for that, Buffy was glad. No, this vampire was someone who was more...verbose. If that was possible.  
  
Blonde, highly annoying, and should've been staked sometime ago was watching Buffy outside the Bronze, hiding conspicuously behind a trashbin.   
  
Harmony had decided to bring the offensive to the Slayer.   
  
So, she was waiting for Buffy to show up.   
  
Without her minions, Harmony felt very alone. She had like the feeling of control having minions gave her, and she knew that the only way to get the control back would be if she captured and killed the Slayer.   
  
Or, maybe one of her friends, as Harmony noticed Willow walking up to the Bronze, alone, without the dark haired witch with her, for once. Buffy had already gone inside, and she would take a while coming out, and by then, Harm and Willow would already be gone.   
  
Willow was wrapped up in her thoughts. Tara had been pretty insistent about Willow going and spending time with the original Scoobies, Willow was worried she still didn't feel part of the group. So, alone she was going to the Bronze, to meet up with Buffy and Xander. Giles hadn't wanted to come.   
  
She felt someone fall in step behind her, and she whirled, and Harmony was there in vamp face, grabbing her, and stretching her fangs towards Willow's neck.  
  
In shock, Willow recited the first spell that came to mind, to prevent Harmony from biting her, because Oz wasn't here this time to save her. It was a mind maliputation spell, that was supposed to shock Harmony's mind out of working for several moments, enough for Willow to get inside the Bronze.   
  
Willow performed the quiet chant, and Harmony let go of her, but instead of Willow getting up, she slapped her hand to her forehead, and said, "Drat, it's supposed to be 'away' instead of -"   
  
Willow got strangely quiet, and looked at Harmony, who was looking at her. Then Willow realized that Harmony was a vampire, and ran for the Bronze. Harm let her go, then slunk off to the cemetary. One of them.  
  
"Buffy!" Willow shrieked as she ran into the Bronze. Buffy came up to her in a panic, thinking she was hurt, or someone else was hurt.  
  
"What is it, Willow?" Buffy asked, searching around with her eyes for some danger.  
  
"I saw Harmony! She's making a big noise again. We should go kill her, to make sure she doesn't hurt me again. Oz wasn't here to protect me this time. I could've gotten hurt." Willow was breathing rapidly, and her eyes were wide, and looking around for a place to hide.   
  
"Okay, Willow, breathe. Have you been drinking coffee again?" Buffy asked her, not thinking Harmony to be that big of a threat.   
  
Willow shook her head.   
  
"Okay, Will, it's just Harmony. What's she gonna do? She's as harmless as Spike."   
  
Willow stared at her wide-eyed for a moment, then shrugged. "You're the Slayer." She said.   
  
-----  
  
Harmony was also suffering from the spell attack. She couldn't tell what yet, but she *knew* something was different.   
  
Or it could've just been Spike in the crypt, doing something with his feet, and legs, that looked awfully strange.  
  
"What are you doing?" Harmony asked, standing in the doorway of Spike's home.   
  
"Uh, nothing?" Spike tried. He was caught red-handed, or footed, judging by how his feet were in this complicated twist-thing. It was amazing that he was even standing at all. Must be that vamp thing.  
  
Harmony looked at him with the 'You can't fool me' look, and he averted his eyes and mumbled something.  
  
"What?" She asked, her vamp hearing not picking up the words.  
  
"I *said*, I saw that git on the telly, doin' that thing the micks like, and I bet that could do it too." He really didn't raise his voice that much.  
  
"Bet what? And who? And what was that?" Harmony was still confused, this not making sense to her modern brain, with no culture.  
  
"Nothing." Spike sighed, and down looked at his legs. He really did not have a clue how they got into that position. He tried moving, but ended up falling. Only to catch himself on the table, that held his liquor. And he made the table tip over, splashing the drink on himself.  
  
"Wonderful." He muttered, ignoring Harm's laughter at his predicament. That's it, time to kick her arse. Maybe.   
  
"So, what you doing back here? Thought *you'd* be out killing." He said bitterly, while pulling himself over to, and hoisting himself into his chair, without fully getting up.  
  
"*I* was hunting the Slayer." She said all important-like, puffing up like one of those puff fish. "Something I think *you've* given up on."  
  
Spike scowled at her, resisted the urge to stick out his tongue, and said nothing, picking up the bottle, which had not broke, and drinking what was left in one gulp.  
  
He didn't stay silent long.   
  
"It's not my bloody fault I got a computer chip in my head!" Spike grumbled. "Now, if I had a *computer*, then maybe I could deactivate it. But, then again, you would know nothing about that, now would you Harm?"  
  
"Actually," Harmony retorted. "All you have to do is log into the old database of the Initiative, break the secret code, go under monsters, go under you, Hostile 17, then you will see the actual instructions they used to insert the chip. You can not only figure out how to deactivate the damn thing from there, but you can also find out how to get it out. Or you could, if the databases hadn't been all destroyed."   
  
Spike blinked once. Twice.   
  
Something strange was happening in Sunnydale  
  
-----  
  
Next day, it's back to the Magick Box, where things never rest:  
  
"So, what's the demon of the week?" Xander asked, rubbing his hands, as he sat down at the research table.   
  
"Not enough shelf space." Giles said, putting a box down in front of Xander. "All the demons that come in here keep breaking all my shelves.  
  
"Hey, don't forget I put a lot of work into those shelves. Least you could do is keep the demons out." Xander retorted, looking up as Willow and Buffy walked in the door. "Hey."  
  
"Hello." Buffy said, dropping her bag into a chair. "Dawn here yet?"  
  
"Yes." Dawn said, walking out of the back room, sucking on a candy cane.   
  
"What is that?" Buffy asked, hands going to her hips.  
  
"What?" Dawn asked, giving her a funny look.  
  
Buffy just raised her eyebrows, and Dawn sighed. "It's a candy cane, Buffy. Spike gave it to me. You don't need to slay it."  
  
Buffy's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. She didn't like how close Spike and Dawn were, but she didn't have the time to change it.  
  
"Willow," Giles said, bringing a book over, hoping to diffuse the sisters, "I was wondering if you could get on your computer, and find some books that are in the same nature as this one? Doesn't have to be the same language, of course."  
  
Willow smiled brightly at Giles. "What?"   
  
Giles looked at her strangely. "Willow, are you feeling all right?"  
  
"Of course." She answered. "Not like Harmony hurt me when she attacked last night."  
  
"Harmony's attacking again?" Xander said, "Man, why haven't we stake that vamp yet?"  
  
"Amusement factor." Buffy said. "Up for some training, Giles?"  
  
"Uh, sure." He said. "Let me clear Willow up, first." He set the book down on the table, as Buffy went into the Slayer Training Area.   
  
"Hi, Giles." She said, smiling at him.  
  
"Hello, Willow." He looked at her for a moment. "Did you understand what I said? I want more books on this subject, and the Council has been particularly refusing about letting me getting more, even if it is to help the Slayer." He paused again, still wondering why Willow would need this explanation. "And I want you to find more books, on this subject." He tapped the book on the table.   
  
Willow cocked her head as she looked up at him. "You want me to find books like this one. Do I just go to Amazon, or something?" She brought the book closer and opened to a random page. "I can't read this." She stated after looking at it for a bit.   
  
"Willow, you just look under your usual sources. I've never asked how you find them. And I know that you've learned a close variation of this language, so I'm sure you could figure it out." Giles studied Willow's eyes, wondering if she was feeling alright.   
  
"Is this like a test?" Willow asked him, still thumbing through the book.   
  
"No, Willow, it isn't." Giles answered, taking the book away. "Are you feeling alright? Maybe you should take a break from practicing magick for a while. It seems to be tiring you out."   
  
"Whatever you say, Giles." Willow said, then pulled a pack of colored gel pens, and a notebook out of her bag, and started doodling.  
  
Giles walked away from Willow, still confused. She was acting strangely. She seemed to not be knowing what was going on. It was as if her brain power had been.. drained from her. He put the book down on the counter, and went into the training area.  
  
"Have you noticed Willow acting strangely lately?" Giles asked Buffy, who was warming up in workout clothes.   
  
"Has she been?" Buffy asked. "Nah, seems the normal Willow-y type. Freaked about the Harmony attack, but it's been awhile since she's patrolled, bound to be freaked."   
  
"Yes." Giles agreed. "Did she say anything weird last night? Anything to point in the direction of her not acting like herself?"  
  
"What's with the questions? She do something funny?" Buffy stopped what she was doing, and studied Giles, concerned about her friend, because he was concerned.   
  
"She seems to be out of sorts, she doesn't know what's going on. She didn't know what to do when I asked for some research, and just seems a bit.. off." Giles shrugged in helplessness, not knowing how to phrase it. "It's like she's drained. Lost something. She's not right."   
  
"Drained? That happens Giles. School, spells, you know she's always busy girl. Maybe Tara's stressing her. You never know."  
  
"Yes, well, I believe we should ask her about it. Maybe she could give us some insight."   
  
"Maybe." Buffy said.  
  
-----  
  
Spike's Crypt  
  
"Harm, did you take it?!" Spike yelled from where he was. To Harmony, who was less then 10 feet away.  
  
"Take what?" She asked. "The case of liquor you five-fingered from Willie?"   
  
"Yeah. That one." Spike nodded.  
  
"It's outside." She said.  
  
"What!?"   
  
"Outside. I put it out there as payback for treating me so badly." Harmony tossed her hair over her shoulder.  
  
"You really know how to keep a grudge, don't you?" Spike griped, pulling open the door to look outside. "Ooh, it's way out there."   
  
"Yep." Harmony agreed, not moving from where she was watching The History Channel. "And it's not only payback, but training for you to not treat me bad.  
  
"And if you treat me right.." She trailed off suggestively. "I'll give you this big black umbrella to go get your precious liquor."   
  
Spike cocked his eyebrow at her. "I like it, when you act this way." He purred at her, sauntering over to the chair where she sat. He ran his hand up her arm, back down, took her hand, and pulled her to the bed.  
  
-----  
  
Magick Box  
  
"Willow?" Buffy asked, coming out of the training room.   
  
"Hey Buffy." Willow said back, turning the page in her notebook.  
  
"Are you feeling alright?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Why is everyone asking me that?" Willow asked. "It's like they expect me to be wrong, or something like that."   
  
"No, no," Buffy said, relieved that her friend seemed to be sounding normal, not like what Giles said. "I was just wondering, Giles said..." She trailed off, and took a seat next to Willow. "So, how 'bout that Modern Lit paper. Think you could give me a hand, since you're done already?"  
  
"Okay." Willow agreed, as Giles said behind them, "Don't touch that Xander."   
  
"Uh, where's Dawn?" Buffy asked, looking around for her little sister.  
  
"I let her go for ice cream." Willow said. "She said she was hungry."  
  
"You let her go?" Buffy asked, "Willow, you that with Glory around that isn't a good idea."   
  
"Anya went with her, Buffy." Xander said, wandering back to the table.   
  
"Big help there." Buffy said.  
  
"Hey!" Xander said. "That's my girlfriend you're talking about." He slumped down into another chair, pulling an open book closer to read.  
  
"So, Will," Buffy said, "I've got main stuff, but I haven't had the time to focus in more on the details. Like why she was sleeping with him in the first place."   
  
"Come on, Buffy, we all know that." Xander said. "She wanted his bod." He grinned at the girls.  
  
"I don't know." Willow said.  
  
"You don't know?" Xander mock dropped his jaw. "The great and powerful Willow does not know? What is the world coming to?"   
  
"Are you sure you're alright?" Buffy asked her. "Nothing's wrong? Nothing happened last night?"   
  
"No, I just ran into Harmony, and I did a spell." Willow said. sliding the paper back and forth in her hands.   
  
"What kind of spell?" Giles asked, coming into the conversation.  
  
"Something to keep Harmony away from me. Because I don't have Oz this time." Willow said.   
  
"Did anything happen?" Giles asked. "Anything at all?"  
  
"No." She said. "Wait, I think I messed up a couple of words. No biggie." She shrugged.   
  
"Willow, that is a very big deal. You could've done something very dangerous!" Giles scolded her. "Now, what kind of spell did you do?"  
  
"I had to keep Harmony away." Willow said. "So, I was going to shock her backwards, using my mind to throw her back. Yeah, that's it."   
  
"And you messed up the words?" Xander asked. "Wouldn't it suck if she had messed up, and switched Harmony's brain with hers?"  
  
"I think that's exactly what she's done." Giles said faintly.  
  
Buffy stared at him wide-eyed, then at her best friend. "What do we do?" She asked.   
  
"Only, she knows she's our Willow. It's not like it's a Freaky Friday thing." Xander said.   
  
"Yes." Giles said. "It's more like she's lost her brain power, her intelligence." He said, as they watched her reach for the colored pens again.   
  
"Well, we all know Harmony isn't the brightest crayon in the box." Buffy remarked, standing by Giles's side. "So, what now?"  
  
"I believe I know what spell Willow used, luckily." Giles went over to the book shelf and pulled down a big brown, leather-bound book. He flipped rapidly through it. "Yes, here it is."   
  
He pointed to a spot on the page, while showing Buffy and Xander the book.   
  
"It's a fairly easy reversal spell, except for the fact that we need Harmony, and the place where the spell was said. We have all the ingredients in the shop."  
  
"Alright, let's get cracking." Xander rubbed his hands together.   
  
"I think I should go and tell Harmony what has happened." Giles said. "I don't think I want anyone else to go." He glanced around at the people in the shop.  
  
"Hey!" Buffy and Xander protested at the same time.   
  
Dawn and Anya entered now, both with ice cream cones.   
  
"Anya can mind the shop, Xander you can stay with her, and Buffy, you stay, watch Dawn, and Willow." He shook his head, unused to telling someone to watch Willow.  
  
"I want to go." Dawn said. "Where are you going?" She posed her question to Giles, but it was Buffy who answered.  
  
"He's going to see Harmony, and you are not allowed to go."   
  
"Harmony's staying with Spike, I wanna see Spike." Dawn said.   
  
Buffy and Giles traded glances, then Buffy heaved a sigh.  
  
"Fine, go with him." She said. "Not my fault if Mom yells at you.  
  
"Yay!" Dawn said. "I'll show you where he's staying now." She said to Giles. And to Buffy- "Mom likes Spike." And with one last look around, knowing something would be broken by the time he got back, Giles left the shop with Dawn.  
  
-----  
  
Giles and Dawn entered Spike's crypt, immediately seeing Spike, who was sitting on the stone coffin opposite the door.   
  
"Spike, we have a question for you." Giles said. Spike's head came up from where it had been lolling on his shoulder.  
  
"Yeah? What is it?" It was then that Giles noticed the large case of liquor besides Spike.   
  
"Are you drunk?" Giles asked.  
  
"I remember the last time he was drunk. He was funny, drinking hot cocoa with me and Mom." Dawn interrupted, and was silenced by Giles's look. "Sorry."  
  
"He is." Said Harmony, who had appeared from an underground cavern. "That's his second box. And he's real depressed. I think the Slayer's getting to him."   
  
"Harmony." Said Giles, moving in front of Dawn. He wasn't actually expecting her to be here, he hadn't believed Dawn when she said they were living together, because Spike had complained so much about Harmony when Spike was in his apartment.   
  
"Yeah, that's me. I know I didn't spend a lot of time in the library, but I didn't think you'd forget my name. 'Specially now, since I'm a vampire." She vamped, but didn't lunge at them.  
  
"Yes, yes, I remember." Giles said.   
  
"I wouldn't piss her off, mate. She's like, smart now, and I don't think Red could out-talk her." Spike spoke up from his seat on the coffin.  
  
"Smart?" Giles asked Spike.   
  
"Yeah, like she stole 'em outa a brains for hire shop." Spike said, blindly searching for another bottle from the case on the floor.  
  
"Harmony," Giles started, "I have a request of you."  
  
"Yeah? What? Not that I'm saying I'd make any deals with you." She crossed her arms over her chest, still in vamp face.   
  
"Meet the Slayer in the Bronze alleyway tonight- She's calling you out for a final battle." Giles said firmly, hoping Harmony using Willow's brain power couldn't figure out the trick.  
  
"Alright." Harmony said. "Just the Slayer. None of her flunkies."  
  
Giles nodded, and backed out of the crypt, keeping Dawn behind them, until they reached the sunlight.  
  
"Bye, Spike!" Dawn said. Spike raised his hand, but didn't say anything.   
  
Giles and Dawn disappeared from sight.  
  
Harmony went over to the door, and shut it.   
  
"They're planning something." She said, more to herself, than to Spike. "I don't know what, but they are. And I'll be prepared."  
  
Spike hiccuped in response.  
  
-----  
  
Sundown. Everyone was in place. Xander and Anya were in an abandoned building, across from the Bronze, both with crossbows to shoot at Harmony if things got out of hand. Giles, Buffy, Willow, and Tara were on the ground. Tara had been informed of Willow's situation as soon as she got to the Magick Box after her late class, and had refused to leave Willow's side. Giles, Willow, and Tara were hiding behind some trash bins, while Buffy stood watch in the middle of the alley. Dawn had been left at home, despite all her pouting.   
  
The plan was to have Harmony come, Buffy beat her around a bit (Buffy added that part), then Tara and Giles bring Willow out, Giles says the short counterspell, and Willow and Harmony are back to normal. That was the plan, but Giles was smart enough to know that Harmony would have a plan as well. She was using Willow's brains, for crying out loud.   
  
But, it's not as if Giles could've walked up to Harmony and said, 'Excuse me, we both know each other has a plan. Would you be kind enough to share yours?'  
  
So, they had been in place since before dusk, and would remain there until Willow was back to normal. Hopefully they wouldn't have to wait long.  
  
15 minutes after the sun fell below the horizon, Harmony showed up. With only Spike at her side. Giles briefly wondered where her calvery was.   
  
"So. You came." Harmony said to Buffy, both of them standing with their arms crossed.   
  
Spike didn't stop walking when Harmony did, he just continued right along to the door to the Bronze.   
  
"Hey! Where are you going?" Harmony asked him.   
  
"You think I was gonna stand by your side against *her*?" Spike jabbed his thumb at Buffy. "You're really not that bright on that account." He scoffed, and walked the rest of the way to the Bronze, Buffy letting him by.   
  
"Thanks for the help, Spike." Harmony said vemously, under her breath. "So, are we going to fight now?" She raised her voice, and spoke to Buffy.  
  
"No." Buffy said. The answer surprised Harmony. "Not quite yet." Buffy motioned to Giles, and Tara guided Willow out to position. Giles started reciting the words to the counterspell.  
  
"You think I'd really want to fight you?" Buffy taunted Harmony, as both she was Willow started to go through brain spasms. And then Giles was done, and Willow and Harmony were blinking rapidly.   
  
"Are you alright?" Tara asked her girlfriend.   
  
"I feel like I spent three days with Harmony, but yeah." Willow smiled at Tara, and was leaning up for a kiss, when an arrow whizzed by them and hit the trash cans they had been hiding behind.   
  
"Oops, sorry." Anya's voice called down to them. Giles sighed, as he looked up to where his employee and her boyfriend were looking down with sheepish expressions.  
  
"Get down here." He called up to them. They left the window area.  
  
"Leave." Buffy said to Harmony. "And don't come near my family again."   
  
Harmony stared at Buffy, then turned, and fled into the night.   
  
"Another happily ever after?" Buffy asked Willow and Tara, when she went over to them.   
  
"Yeah. Just another day at the office." Willow responded. "Now, if you would like some *real* help on that paper of yours.." She trailed off, and Buffy laughed, and the group headed back to the Magick Box, Buffy, Willow, and Tara in the lead.   
  
"Yeah, I guess I could use some help. As long as you feel smart enough for the job."   
  
In response, Willow shoved Buffy playfully.   
  
"Ya know Will," Xander said, jogging as he and Anya caught up to the rest of the gang. "I could write the paper for you. I'm smarter than Harmony."   
  
"Xander." Willow said in a mock-disapproving way.  
  
"What? I'm only trying to help here."  
  
"And the world rests in their hands." Giles shook his head, though smiling slightly at the group walking in front of him.  
  
End. Finally.   
  



End file.
